"Our job is to understand human rights ourselves in order to better serve victims because to be free from sexual violence is a human right," Ross said.

Ross is the founder and former executive director of the National Center for Human Rights Education in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also one of the first African American women to direct a rape crisis center in the 1970s.

Sexual human rights is one of eight categories of human rights as identified by the United Nations. A few of these rights include the right to be free from sexual violence, the right to control one's own sexual destiny, and the right to sexual privacy.

For more information, visit the National Center for Human Rights Education at www.nchre.org.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

KCSDV and its member programs are participating in activities to raise awareness about sexual violence during the month of April.

Thank You

Safe Homes, Safe Streets Sponsors

KCSDV thanks the following for their support of the 4th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness Day and Reception.

KCSDV's 4th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets in Review

Calling upon elected officials to address sexual and domestic violence was the focus of the 4th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets events.

"Currently, only about 40% of Kansas counties have sexual or domestic violence advocacy services for victims in a reasonable timeframe," said Sandy Barnett, executive director of KCSDV. "We call upon the Kansas Legislature to step up and address the gaps in services and to provide funding for service expansion across the state."

More than 300 people participated in the day's events.

Many state legislators attended the morning press conference and three legislators spoke during it - Rep. Bob Bethell, R-Alden—"We have to realize we have to come to some kind of a solution."; Sen. Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka—"Sexual and domestic violence are issues of public safety. We have to do what it takes to keep Kansans safe."; and Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence—"It's not just a woman thing. Everyone is affected by it."

The evening reception featured opening comments from the new Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison as well as a keynote address by Loretta Ross, long-time advocate and human rights activist. She is the founder and former executive director of the National Center for Human Rights Education in Atlanta, Georgia.

Marlou Wegener, the evening's emcee and a representative from one of the event's corporate sponsors, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, received a thank you gift from Sarah Terwelp, KCSDV Board President.

REMEMBER...Computer use can be monitored and is impossible to completely clear. The safest way to find information on the internet is to use a computer at a local library, a friend's house, an Internet Cafe or at work. For more information about internet and communication technology safety, go to: www.kcsdv.org/safetynews.html

Note: This newsletter is published quarterly, hard copy and online, JAN, APRIL, JULY, and OCT. Deadlines for calendar and article submissions are DEC 1, MAR 1, JUNE 1, and SEPT 1. Submissions will be reviewed for content and space availability.

Kansas Sexual and Domestic Violence Programs

Programs are listed below alphabetically by city with their HOTLINE phone numbers. The numbers on the map correspond to the programs listed. Call the program nearest you. You do not have to live in the city where the program is located to use their services.